Amazons are very popular thanks to their colorful feathers, playful nature, amazing intelligence, and exceptional vocal abilities. True clowns, they love to show off, talk, sing, and crave entertainment. However, they can also be stubborn, temperamental, noisy, requiring a great deal of attention and care. Therefore, they are not for the inexperienced bird owner.

Most Amazons are predominantly green with accenting colors, such as red, blue, yellow orange, or purple. Each species has its own striking coloration. Medium-sized parrots, Amazons range in size from 10"-19". Their bodies are short and stout, with short, slightly rounded tails and round, broad wings.

Amazons are among the most personable of parrots. Affectionate, sociable, and loyal, they can make wonderful companions. Due to their high intelligence, however, Amazons require a devoted owner who is willing to provide significant attention, an interesting environment, meaningful activity and a variety of stimuli, such as chewing and foraging toys, to keep them from being bored and destructive to themselves or their surroundings.

Amazons can also become bored when being stuck with the same food day after day, so it's crucial to vary their diet regularly. To provide a balanced diet, offer a wide variety of fresh foods, like fruits and vegetables, in addition to a staple pellet diet. Make sure to watch portions and avoid high-fat foods as Amazons have a tendency toward obesity. Another necessity for Amazons is regular baths. As rain forest animals, they thrive on being bathed.

Though many people find the Amazon's playfulness and outgoing, entertaining personality irresistible, it's critical to take other factors into consideration when deciding whether or not an Amazon is right for you. For example, the average life span of an Amazon is 50 years, with some living up to 70 years! So, make sure you do plenty of research on the specific species of Amazon you're interested in before making a possible lifelong commitment.

Interesting Facts:

Family:

Psittacidae

Genus:

Amazona

Size:

From 10" to 19"

Habitat:

Central and South America, Mexico, Caribbean Islands.

Behavior:

Very personable, incredibly intelligent, outgoing, playful, social, and vocal; they can also be quite sassy, stubborn, and self-confident.

Diet:

Varied, low-fat diet of pellets, grains, vegetables, fruit, and a small amount of seeds.

Special Needs:

Require regular baths.

Owner Challenges:

Amazons crave attention and entertainment and therefore, require a lot of attention and a variety of stimuli; Amazons can become destructive and noisy if bored; they can also get nippy at times; they require a cage at least two times the size of their full wingspan; Amazons are not for the inexperienced bird owner.